Having upset many with my ‘arrogance’ in How to be stupid – Part 1, I felt obliged to give a guide to those who wanted to be less stupid. It seems fair enough. Errrh.. if you’re looking for me to hold your hand and help you click a mouse – it’s a good thing you’re not in swinging distance of my right arm.
The important factors that reduce stupidity are as follows:
- Slowing thought processes so as to reflect carefully on things.
- Developing critical thinking skills.
- Applying those skills appropriately.
- Critical thinking relies heavily on understanding and avoiding logical fallacies – so read up much on logical fallacies and try to spot them, in advertisements and interviews of people on TV.
Below are a few links to get you started.
- Skeptic.com podcasts
- Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe podcasts.
- Skeptics’ Guide to 20 logical fallacies
- http://www.logicalfallacies.info/
- Fallacy Files.
- Critical thinking on the web (at Austhink – software not required to think!).
Ask me no questions about 101 – or if you’re inclined to, read up How to be stupid – Part 1.
